NASA has announced that it will make a decision by the end of the month on how to safely bring home two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) following a malfunction with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams embarked on their mission to the ISS on June 5 as part of the Starliner’s first crewed flight. Initially scheduled to spend eight days in space, the duo found themselves stuck on the ISS after the Starliner’s thrusters malfunctioned, which are essential for maintaining the capsule’s proper orientation during descent.
At a news conference on Wednesday, NASA officials revealed that they are still analyzing the thruster data but will need to make a final decision soon. “We’re reaching a point where that last week in August we really should be making a call, if not sooner,” stated Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate.
Russ DeLoach, NASA’s safety chief, acknowledged the complexity of the situation, saying, “We don’t have enough insight and data to make some sort of simple, black-and-white calculation.”
NASA is currently evaluating whether to rely on the Starliner or to use a spacecraft from SpaceX, the company owned by Elon Musk. If NASA opts for SpaceX, they could potentially launch their Crew-9 mission to the ISS on September 24, albeit with only two astronauts instead of the usual four.
The decision will be crucial for ensuring the safe return of Wilmore and Williams and may have broader implications for the future of Boeing’s Starliner program.
